Mets Hesitant to Give Jonah Tong Another Start After Rough Outing; Senga Shines in Triple-A
Manager Carlos Mendoza says the club will 'see' on Tong's next turn as rotation decisions loom with Kodai Senga flashing in Syracuse
The New York Mets declined to commit to another start for top prospect Jonah Tong after he failed to record the third out of the first inning in Friday’s 8-3 loss to the Texas Rangers, and manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday’s off-day will be an important time for the club to evaluate rotation options.
Tong was charged with six runs on four hits and three walks over 40 pitches in the outing at Citi Field on Sept. 12, 2025. The Rangers displayed rare restraint — swinging only once on the first 19 pitches they saw — and two walks helped ignite the rally that knocked Tong from the game early. Tong had been stronger in his first two big-league starts, allowing five earned runs in 11 innings against the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds.
“We’ll see” if Tong gets another start, Mendoza said, adding that the Mets may use the 22-year-old prospect in a tandem role with another starter rather than as a traditional fifth starter. Huascar Brazobán provided length in relief of Tong, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings — the second-longest scoreless relief outing of his career — and Francisco Álvarez delivered the Mets’ first run with an opposite-field solo homer in the third.
Meanwhile, Kodai Senga opened his minor-league assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday and delivered a strong outing, allowing one run on three hits with no walks and striking out eight over six innings. Senga, an All-Star in 2023 who had been on an All-Star trajectory this season before a right hamstring strain, had been expected to make multiple rehab starts. Under current roster rules he is not eligible for recall until Sept. 20 unless another player on the major-league roster is injured.
The Mets now must weigh several internal options as they navigate a rotation that effectively has six main contributors while a seventh attempts to establish himself. Nolan McLean has solidified a spot with recent performances, and Brandon Sproat posted a strong debut. Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes have shown intriguing offerings but have struggled to work deep enough into games to be lone starters, making them potential piggyback candidates. David Peterson, who had endured a difficult stretch, allowed three runs in five innings in Philadelphia on Thursday.
Cedric Mullins, acquired at the trade deadline, returned to the lineup on Friday after sitting out three games and went 1-for-3 with a single off Jacob deGrom. Mullins has been part of a platoon in center field as the Mets have sought to manage his early struggles; he hit .183/.297/.280 in his first 31 games with New York before the club activated Jose Siri, who has started against left-handed pitching. Co-hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said the club has been working with Mullins on getting his hands out in front and taking a more direct path to the ball.
The Mets observed a moment of silence before the game for former manager Davey Johnson, who died Sept. 5 at 82. Bobby Valentine, who coached with Johnson, praised his early use of statistical information, saying Johnson was open to analytics and did not presume to know everything.
Tylor Megill, on the injured list with elbow tightness, continues to consult doctors for evaluation, Mendoza said. The Mets face decisions about short-term rotation construction and longer-term bullpen planning with the regular-season roster expanding only after Sept. 20 and with Monday’s off-day providing a pause for conversations and evaluation.
